For quite some time, I wasn’t sure what to call this recipe. Pumpkin pie mash? Pumpkin pie filling? Sweet potato salad? Then, I took a bite and closed my eyes. What came to mind were picnics, summertime, Tupperware containers, and my happy children. Hence, “chilled summer yams,” perfect for packing into a big picnic basket for an outdoor meal with my family.

Ingredients

Quantity

Unit

Name

Link

Alternatives

3

large yams or sweet potatoes, baked

½

teaspoon

pure vanilla extract

1

tablespoon

brown sugar

½

teaspoon

ground cinnamon

¼

teaspoon

ground ginger

¼

teaspoon

ground nutmeg

¼

teaspoon

salt

pinch

of ground allspice

pinch

cup

pecans, coarsely chopped and toasted

Instructions

Bake the sweet potatoes in the oven at 375°F until they’re fork tender, about an hour. While they’re baking, chop and toast the pecans, then set aside.

When the sweet potatoes are done, peel them, being careful not to burn your fingers, and drop them into a food processor or high-speed blender. Blend until smooth, adding soy milk as needed to facilitate blending.

In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes with the remaining ingredients (vanilla extract, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, allspice, and cloves). Mix to combine the ingredients evenly and chill in the refrigerator.